This invention relates to advertising on the Internet and includes ad placement front loaded to browsers from a central system controller. A browser hits a client website and is provided from the system central controller with a non-scrolling ad frame overlaid on the browser screen and a list of ads to be played. A local record of ads played is maintained with the browser cookie and used to edit ads played. A browser controlled and directed sequential playing of consecutive ads results.
It has now become common to load web pages with paid advertising. For example, it is common to see advertisements and web page linked advertisements on many web pages. Simply stated, with a web page linked advertisement, by "clicking" on the ad, forwarding of the browser to the relevant web page of the advertiser occurs.
In a typical advertising supported website, an advertiser supplies ad copy electronically to a website operator. The website operator owns and/or controls a computer or collection of computers knows as the webserver. The website operator creates one or more hyperlinked pages and stores those pages on the webserver, preferably with the ad copy included, or referenced, in one or more of the hyperlinked pages.
A user of a browser that is interested in the website will direct his browser to connect to the webserver and retrieve one or more pages of the website. As the browser displays the pages for the user, the browser displays the ad copy, by virtue of the fact that the website operator included the ad copy in the website pages being viewed.
Unfortunately, the advertiser placing the ad has little control over how the ad is viewed. For example, many web pages are larger than the screen that displays the pages. This being the case, the pages are typically scrolled, and with the scrolling of the pages, the ads are likewise scrolled. Such scrolling brings the ads into and out of view, on a basis where both the advertiser and the agency placing the ad have no control over when the ad is being viewed.
A known solution to scrolling is to place the ad content in a non-scrolling frame. In such an ad, the non-scrolling frame and the ad content is constantly located with respect to the viewed screen of the browser. Thus, both the agencies placing the ad and the advertisers are relatively sure that the ad remains where it may be viewed.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to utilizing a non-scrolling frame.
Specifically, one of the most important ways a website is enabled to have life sustaining "hits" to be indexed with certain general search sites. These general search sites take in the subject matter sought, a name, or combinations of words and direct the inquiring browsers likely websites having the desired information sought. Many such general search sites take information from robotic searchers--searching computer programs that essentially with minimal tending systematically visit and then index websites and the subject matter contained or referred to within the website. It is required that these search engines be able to freely move from website to website to continue their searching and indexing task.
Non-scrolling frames present on a website serve to trap such search engines at a particular website and prevent the search engines from moving on to the next website. The presence of the frame gets the engine caught on the site in a recursive cycle that prevents further search engine movement from the website without time-consuming manual intervention. A solution commonly adapted by designers of search engines is to quickly scan the site for the presence of a frame. Finding a frame, the search engine moves on without further interrogation of the website--and more importantly for the owner of the website--without adding the website to the index. In other words, heretofore, placement of a non-scrolling frame within a website excludes that website from many indexes. And being excluded from many indexes, the website is isolated from what otherwise might be a larger number of revenue earning hits. It therefore become understandable that frames--especially non-scrolling frames--within websites are avoided.
The time of ad content view is another problem. Taking the same situation of a non-scrolling frame, ad content is often changed within the frame on a periodic basis. This change is either programmed or random by the website with respect to any given ad. Since only the website controls the ad content, both the programmed or random display of ad content continues indefinitely so long as the browser remains on the website.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No 09/291,785 filed Apr. 14, 1999 entitled Internet Advertising with Controlled and Timed Display of Ad Content from Centralized System Controller by Robert M. Cezar, an Internet advertising protocol was set forth. In this system, a webserver delivers web pages to a browser while a central controller tracks the extent to which a particular ad is presented to a particular browser. The coding for the web pages is such that the ad does not scroll during browser display of a web page. The content of the ad includes a coded timer, which upon timeout causes the browser to report to the central controller. The system enables precise controlled advertising to each web page viewing browser and accurate advertising budgeting and programming from the central controller. As a consequence, browser advertising is generated which advertising can be monitored and upgraded to meet marketing needs.
The components participating in the system include a host website partitioned at a webserver for transmitting a page. The webserver transmits software to the browser for retrieving a non-scrolling ad frame. Ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame has individual timers for timing out each ad. The timers starts commencing with display at the browser. A central controller with a firewall protected data base directs non-scrolling frame set up in the browser; generates, dispenses and interrogates for unique browser identifiers; maintains records associated with the unique browser identifiers indicating ads displayed and ads available for display; and, finally dispatches to inquiring browsers ad content addresses. The data base provides an audit trail from which websites can be compensated for ad display and advertisers billed for the ad display. Finally, an inquiring browser has the non-scrolling frame set up on the browser, ad content displayed within the browser for a sufficient time interval to timeout the timer, report to the central controller of the display, and retrieval of the address of the next ad content for display.
A subscribing website transmits code that diverts initial browser call to a central controller to retrieve a non-scrolling frame followed by reconnection to the website for continued page loading. Initially, a lead-in ad with timer is loaded from the website to the non-scrolling ad frame and displayed until the timer times out.
It is important to note that the non-scrolling frame never appears at the website; the non-scrolling frame only appears at the browser. This being the case, search engines servicing general search sites are free to come, analyze, and index the contents of the website. Since the non-scrolling frame only appears at the browser--and never at the website--the robotic search engines are neither trapped recursively within the site nor avoid the site because of the presence of a frame.
During timeout of the lead-in ad timer, the central system controller interrogates for a central system controller identifier. Presuming that on first call the browser lacks the central system controller identifier, a unique central system controller identifier is generated at the central controller for the browser together with an address of first ad content to be displayed at the non-scrolling ad frame. Upon lead-in ad timeout, lodging of the unique system controller identifier to the browser occurs with the transmission of the address of the first ad content to be displayed. The browser then fetches the first ad content, displays the first ad content with the display starting a timer within the first ad content. Upon timeout of the timer of the first ad content, the browser makes a return and report to the central system controller in a record associated with the unique central system identifier.
The record associated with the central system identifier is accounted relative to the particular ad content displayed and timed out. For example ad content available for display will be altered noting that one ad has been displayed and timed out. Further, the ads available for display will be altered. This record of the ads available for display as updated by the report is then used to transmit to the reporting browser the address of the next in order ad content and timer for display. The process repeats until the browser leaves the website and resumes when the browser returns to the website.
The system uniquely uses the browser in a scheme of precise timed ad display control. First, the browser is loaded with code, which code interrogates for the presence of the non-scrolling ad frame. If the browser lacks the non-scrolling ad frame, the browser is diverted to the system controller to load the non-scrolling ad frame. the non-scrolling frame never appears at the website. Second, the browser initiates timer running as each ad is displayed. Thus, the advertiser is assured that his particular ad content is displayed for the required minimum time interval. Third, the browser inquires to the central controller for the ad content addresses to be displayed. Thereafter, it is the browser that fetches and loads the ad content to the non-scrolling ad frame on any displayed web page; this minimizes bandwidth transmission at the central controller. Fourth, the browser reports to the system controller the time out of displayed ad content, enabling a precise record of advertising control to be maintained.
The system uses the website minimally in its scheme of precise timed ad display control. The only modification required of the website is that it transmits initial Java code to the inquiring browser to commence running of the system.
Finally, the central system controller enables precision targeted advertising with accountability to the website and proof of advertisement display to the paying advertiser. The central system controller maintains a large database. This large data base includes the unique identifier of each inquiring browser and data for ad content including ad content identity and assurance of the number of times that the identified ad content has been displayed to a browser for a minimum timed interval. This large database, automatically generated as a necessary control for the distributed advertising, generates an audit trail, which can be used for compensation of the website and a billing record for the controlled and distributed advertising.
In this U.S. patent application Ser. No 09/291,785 filed Apr. 14, 1999 entitled Internet Advertising with Controlled and Timed Display of Ad Content from Centralized System Controller by Robert M. Cezar, frequent communication was required between the browser and the central system controller of the advertising protocol. In short, each time a new ad was to be played at a frame set, the browser reported the last time out of the played ad and then received from the system controller the address of the next ad to be played. Central processor computation and connection by the browser to receive the results of the computation was required to designate the next ad to be played. In short, that disclosed system placed an intense Internet connection protocol and computational burden on the central system controller.